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Kirchentag witness

Church of Scotland minister the Rev Klaus Buwert reports on a trip to the German Lutheran Church’s Kirchentag – and a personal journey into his refugee past.

WE were sitting on the steps of the French Church in Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin. The evening sun was still hot although it was 8pm. Facing us was the big stage on the other side of the square as the concert was about to begin. It was a concert symbolising much of what this year’s German Lutheran Church Kirchentag was about.

The text for this year’s bi-annual convention was “You see me”, from Genesis 16:13. Hagar, carrying Abraham’s child was a refugee fleeing his wife and her mistress, Sarah. A central theme of many events and meetings was refugees and migrants.

About Life and Work

In this month's issue:
Scotland's Crosses
- the oldest Christian symbols
‘My journey has been long and difficult’
- Rev Boitumelo Johanna Gaborone, a minister with the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa
The Kirk, The Festival and The Fringe
- The Church of Scotland’s role in the history of the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe